Blood in the Water
by kneldon
Summary: The Fire Nation took him in years ago, training him to become the deadliest assassin the world has ever seen. Will he keep fighting on the side of evil, or face the truth and accept his destiny? M for sexual references, slight AU
1. Chapter 1: The assassin

**Chapter 1: The assassin**

In….out….in….out….in….out. There is something very calming about repeating the same process over and over. It feels like you can control your own energy. Pushing and pulling like the sea, like the element that is so dear to him.

He was sitting in a darkened room, only source of light coming from the few candles that surrounded him left and right. No sound but his steady breathing filled the room, making it possible to completely concentrate on his meditation.

While meditating, he relived memories of what happened to him during his childhood. Often enough they were pleasant ones of him and his family, but there was always one particular moment in his life that he would never forget…

A water tribe ship was gliding across the water, heading for its homeland in the north. On the deck was a little boy, clad in blue, looking over the railing across the water. His blond hair flowing in the wind, while a larger figure in blue was coming up behind him.

"What are you looking at Nomak?" The man moved so that he stood next to the boy, looking at nothing in particular on the horizon.

"Oh, nothing. I was just watching the sea... thinking about how father is doing in the war." Nomak looked up at the man and saw that great sadness was etched on his face. "Uncle? What's wrong?"

The look on Samoro's face hardened when he saw the way Nomak was looking at him. It would be very painful for his nephew, but he needed to be told. "This morning I got a hawk with a scroll containing information about your father's raid on a Fire Nation ship from the Northern fleet." Samoro paused to let the information sink in, but Nomak started to worry when he saw his uncle frown.

"What happened? Did the raid fail?"

"No, the raid was successful. It's just that…" Samoro wasn't able to tell his nephew what had transpired. He did not dare to look at the innocent face of the little blond-haired boy, so he turned away when he heard the question he was dreading all day.

"Did... did something happen to my father?"

The tremble in the boys voice was like a giant thunderstorm raging in his ears, worsening every second. To delay him an answer would be like torturing an already dying man.

"When the raid started, your father and some of his men went to the bowels of the enemy ship. Disabling the engine room is key to destroying a Fire Nation ship, but this ship had more soldiers on board than expected, so a fight would be inevitable." Samoro paused to let this information sink in, but Nomak urged him to continue the story.

"They were fighting firebenders in a cramped room, so the heat was starting to build up. But when one of the fireballs was deflected, it flew straight for one of the armories that was full of flammable materials. A series of explosions began, leading up to the main furnace which resulted in a catastrophic blast that blew up most of the lower deck. The ship sunk half an hour later. Most of the men made it, but…" Yet again he paused, still not able to tell his nephew the terrible news.

Nomak knew what his uncle was trying to say, but he was still clinging to that faint feeling of hope of his father making it out alive. But the uncertainty was unbearable, so he had to ask the question of which he did not want to hear the answer.

"What happened to my father?"

Never before has Samoro heard his nephew speak in such a cold tone of voice. He feared that the coldness would turn into anger the moment he answered the boy's question.

"He died in the explosion…"

The only thing he felt was an anger, not thought possible for a boy his age, coursing through his veins. He gripped the railing so hard, he thought he would rip the wood of the side of the boat. And then suddenly, something inside him snapped…

The sounds of clattering armor together with the soft thumping of footsteps were coming from the hallway. Nomak opened his eyes again, knowing full well that showing his emotions would be a great mistake on his part. She would notice. She always notices…

The door was opened by a member of the royal guard, a big man with a surprisingly gentle voice. "Get up. The Princess wants to speak to you." The guard stepped inside the room and took his place next to the open door, waiting for the Princess to enter the chamber.

Azula walked into the room, using the same regal attitude she always uses. Her face was unreadable, and her posture demanded obedience. She halted with her back turned to the guard, looking at the wall in front of her. After a few seconds, she gave the guard a short but clear order. "Leave us."

The guard looked confused and wary to leave his mistress with this strange man. He took a step forward, "But Princess…"

"Do you question my orders?" Azula sharply turned her head to the side, and looked at the trembling guard from the corner of her eye.

"O… of course not, P..Princess." The guard immediately turned and walked outside, fearing for his life if he'd stay there for more than 5 seconds. He closed the door, so that the Princess could have some privacy during her conversation with the waterbender.

Azula waited until she heard the guard walk away before speaking to Nomak. "I see that killing that Earth Kingdom general took you less time than expected."

Nomak smiled at this. Azula never was the type to beat around the bush. "You're right Princess. The information your spies gave me regarding his guards was, … rather exaggerated. Especially the part about their bending abilities. However, I was able to complete the mission in 1 night, as you commanded Princess Azula."

"Yes, I did, didn't I? It seems you have no trouble completing the tasks given to you." While the Princess was talking, she was carefully and methodically checking her nails for any imperfections. She found none. "Soon you will be given another assignment, but first there are some things you left unattended in your absence."

Nomak understood what Azula meant and had to suppress a smile. "Does the Princess wish I attend to these 'things' now?" He was looking directly at Azula with a mischievous look on his face.

Azula noticed the look in his eyes and saw that the waterbender wanted to play the little game she loved so much. She walked over to him swaying her hips and slightly licking her lips. When she approached him, she touched him on his right shoulder with her right hand, and moved so she was circling him while whispering in his ears. "You just returned from your journey, are you not tired?"

Nomak felt her breath in his ear and knew that she had missed him, even if she would never admit it. "I will not rest until my Princess is satisfied." He leaned his head to the side so that he grazed Azula's nose .

"Hmmmm…" The soft hum that came from Azula almost made him shiver in excitement. She continued whispering in his ear, while turning his face so that she could better compensate the height difference. "Come to my chambers at midnight. Don't be late…"

Nomak had no intention whatsoever at arriving late. "As you wish, Milady."

Nomak fell on the bed, his body sweaty and spent after many hours of 'heavy exercise'. Azula was laying next to him, equally exhausted. After a bit of rest, Nomak's breathing was back to normal. He turned and saw Azula looking at him with her head turned. Nomak lifted a hand and rested it on her cheek. While he was stroking her cheek with his thumb, he looked straight into her golden eyes: "You really are beautiful, Princess."

Azula scoffed and turned her head away from Nomak. "You know I hate it when you say things like that."

"I do. I also know that you believe that actions speak louder than words…" He immediately made true of his claim and moved his mouth over one of Azula's nipples. He alternated between sucking and biting while moving his other hand over the other breast.

Azula had to stifle a little uncharacteristic giggle when she felt Nomak's hands and tongue travelling over her breasts and nipples. "I always wondered what men found so fascinating about breasts."

He let Azula's nipple pop out of his mouth to answer her question. "Well, women are all soft and curvy whereas men are hard plains and muscles."

Azula visibly disagreed and threw Nomak off of her and began straddling him, while tracing her long and sharp fingernails across his chest. "Some women can be hard as well, waterbender." Suddenly she broke the skin of his chest with her nails. Nomak groaned but is was more out of pleasure than pain.

"You are of course the exception, Princess." He moved to kiss her on the lips, but Azula backed away out of his reach before their lips could make contact.

"Ready to go again? I guess it's true what Ty Lee said about waterbenders, they're insatiable." This time it was Azula that initiated the kiss. She was very fond of using her teeth while kissing, sometimes biting his tongue causing it to bleed a bit. Nomak didn't mind, he would just heal his injuries when the Princess was done with him.

Without warning, Azula broke the kiss and laid herself next to him. "I need to rest. You know the drill."

Nomak knew what Azula was speaking of but wasn't very pleased that he couldn't finish what he started. "Of course, Princess… but can't we…"

"No."

Nomak heaved a sigh but did not protest. "As you wish Princess."

Azula extinguished the lights in the room with a flick of her hand, while she was trying to find a comfortable sleeping position.

Nomak knew that he should leave, but wanted to stay the night. He scooted closer to Azula so that he hovered above her ear, making it possible to whisper seductively in her ear. "If it pleases her Highness, I would like to keep her company until sunrise."

Azula didn't react immediately but after a few moments she turned her head so that Nomak could hear her loud and clear. "You may stay."

Nomak couldn't keep the smile off of his face while he moved closer to her. She had her back turned to him, so he swung an arm over her and laid his hand flat on her stomach. Nomak hoped that she wouldn't dismiss his affections. His doubts were quickly quelled when he felt her back making contact to his naked chest. With her clenching his arm, he closed his eyes with his face buried in her long black hair hair. A content sigh escaped from both of them before they fell into a deep sleep.

Nomak woke to the sound of Azula rustling in her closet, trying to find her ornamental armor. After a minute of watching her unsuccessful attempt of locating the piece of clothing, Nomak decided to stop being lazy and climb out of bed to help her getting dressed. He stood up and did his daily stretching exercises which helped him getting through the day.

Azula had heard the waterbender but did not pay much attention to him. Her primary concern was to find that elusive piece of armor before the war meeting. Her father would be furious with her if his daughter, his most trusted advisor was late.

Nomak finished his exercises and went over to Azula. "Can't find your armor? It should be here somewhere… I remember removing it last night." Nomak loved teasing the Princess but it was a shame that she almost never blushed.

Azula obviously didn't find his comment amusing. "This is no time for jokes! I have got a war meeting within the hour and I still have to get ready."

"Then go get ready and I'll try and find your armor, okay?"

"Fine, just make sure you've found it when I get back. I'll hold you responsible if I'm late."

"Why me?" Nomak pretended to be surprised but failed miserably. He of course already knew what she was gonna say.

Azula was walking towards the bathroom when she dropped her robe just before going into the other room. "Well it was you who took it off…" was the last thing he heard before she closed the door.

Nomak stared for a second longer where the naked back of the princess had just been before continuing his search for Azula's chestpiece. It obviously wasn't in her closet because she had already turned it inside out, so he decided to look around the bed-area. Not seeing it around or even in the bed, Nomak deduced that there was 1 place left where it could be, under the bed. To his great relief, his instinct was right.

He tidied the bed a little more , making sure that there would be no trace left of his presence in the room last night. If one of the servants knew that he and the Princess were 'getting busy', the Firelord would surely hear of it and that wouldn't be beneficial for Nomak's health.

Just as he was finishing the room, Azula stepped out of the bathroom and saw her chestpiece resting on a chair. "Good, you found it." She went over to Nomak and stood right in front of him with a demanding look on her face. "Now go, the servants can't know you were here last night."

"Yeah, I know… I could always threaten them to keep quiet. I mean, they know what I can do."

Azula smiled at that, but she shooed him off nonetheless. "No, they are more afraid of my father than they are of you. We're better off being careful and making sure that no one knows about us."

"Yeah, probably. But before I go, can I have a little kiss?" Nomak tried it every time, but Azula's answer was always the same:

"No, it is better to leave you wanting." And she always said it with a smirk on her face.

Nomak returned her smirk with a smile of his own. "Kiss or not, I'm always wanting more…" Nomak quickly pecked Azula on the lips and ran out of the room before the servants got up and came to help the princess getting dressed.

Azula was watching him running down the hallway until he turned a corner and was out of sight. She closed the door and threw herself on the bed, smiling because today her plans of bringing down the Earth Kingdom would be set in motion.

Azula was walking along the blood red halls of the palace, on her way to attend the Firelord's war meeting. The only people that were in the hallway, were the servants scurrying about to do their tasks. When they saw the Princess, they immediately bowed low and hurried out of her way. It gave her great pleasure to see that she was to be feared the most among the servants.

When she finally reached the war room, she saw 2 guards standing on either side of the entrance. When the guards caught sight of her, they immediately straightened their postures and looked directly in front of them, making sure they did not make eye contact. Azula stood before one of them and spoke in a direct and commanding tone of voice.

"Guard! Are the generals already present?"

The guard made sure he answered immediately and directly. "No, Princess. The Firelord is the only one present in the war room."

Azula eyed the guard thoroughly and moved to go inside the chamber, but halted just before she went in completely. "Make sure no one gets in before my or my father's say so."

The guard seemed to be used to sharp and sudden orders, or he was just extremely alert around the royal family, because he answered without hesitation. "Understood, Princess Azula"

Azula continued to walk into the antechamber before entering the actual war room. The first thing she saw were the red and orange flames that flared up high in front of the Firelord's throne. Azula was used to her father's displays of power and didn't look intimidated . She swiftly made her way to the foot of the steps that led to the throne. She bowed before her father and waited for him to speak.

For a moment, the only thing she could hear was the roaring of the fire in front of her.

"Azula…" the sound of her father's cold voice pierced the noisy flames and filled the room with an uncomfortable tension. " Did your assassin take care of General Fong?"

Still keeping her head bowed, Azula answered the Firelord's question: "Yes, Father."

Azula could almost feel her father smile even though she could not see because of the flames. "Good. Then it is time that you leave for Ba Sing Se immediately."

Azula already suspected that he wanted her to lead the invasion of Ba Sing Se, seeing that her idiot uncle had already screwed up the Fire Nation's first siege. "I will leave at once."

Azula stood up from her kneeling position but stopped when she heard her father speaking. "Make sure that you not repeat the same mistake twice…"

Azula stiffened. She knew what her father was talking about and it did not sit well with him ever since she told him. "Never attack earthbenders head on. I've learned my lesson, father."

"I hope you did. Another _incident_ like the drill will not be tolerated."

"I understand, Father."

"I know you do, Azula. _**If**_ you make a mistake, you will only let it happen once. Your brother on the other hand…"

This flared up Azula's anger. She was determined to let her father know how much better she was than her brother. "Zuko is a failure. He's not even fit to wear the title of Prince of the Fir…" Azula would surely have continued if her father did not stop her in her tracks.

"Shhh Azula, I know. Come, sit next to me. The meeting will begin shortly." The Fire Lord extinguished the flames and gestured for Azula to sit on his right. She had earned this place the moment Zuko got banished and she wasn't going to give it up anytime soon.

And so father and daughter sat there, waiting in silence for all the generals so they could begin the war meeting.

War meetings have always been tedious and this one was no exception. Some old general kept babbling on about intruders on newly acquired Fire Nation soil, some 60 miles outside of Ba Sing Se. Normally this would not interest Azula, but the old fool did mention something about the Kyoshi warriors. She knew that these people were friends to the Avatar and were allied with the Earth Kingdom ever since Zuko's attack on the town. Maybe she could use this to her advantage… Azula quickly devised a plan and interrupted the general speaking with a simple hand gesture.

"If you would let me interrupt for a moment general. I believe that these new prisoners could be used to our advantage." When she saw the generals looking at eachother, seemingly confused, she decided to explain what she meant. "We know that these Kyoshi Warriors are good friends with the Avatar. So we will simply dress up and act like them to get near the Avatar and the Earth King. This will be our way into Ba Sing Se."

Azula was looking at her father, seeking for approval, but he was not entirely convinced. "This could get you into the city,… but how do you plan on conquering it?" Ozai eyed his daughter and was wondering if she could come up with a feasible plan.

Azula's plan was only a rough draft but she'd still be able to pass it off with her father. " We all know that the Earth King has no _real_ power in Ba Sing Se. I will deceive the leader of the Dai Li and take power from under his nose. The city will come under my control without him noticing a thing."

Ozai's face was unreadable. "Who and what do you need to accomplish this?"

Just by her father's tone, Azula could hear he still had his doubts. Luckily she had a deadly ace up her sleeve, should all else fail. "Mai and Ty Lee would be most qualified for this, but I would like to take 1 more person with me."

Ozai was intrigued, it wasn't often that Azula specially requested someone outside of Mai and Ty Lee. "Who is it?"

In an icy voice and with a smirk on her face, Azula answered: "Nomak."

Every single general shivered upon hearing those 2 syllables. Murmurs of 'the assassin' could be heard among them.

"I have him ready to depart at this very moment."

One general stood up, signaling he wanted to ask something. Ozai nodded for him to speak.

"Is he in the Capital?"

Azula grinned maliciously and answered the general. "Not just in the Capital, he's in the palace." To her great satisfaction, she could literally see the goose bumps forming on his skin. The general composed himself though and hardened his expression.

"This is outrageous! He should not be allowed in the palace!" The rest of the generals agreed with quiet murmurs and confirming nods.

Azula's smile fell from her face and was looking annoyed by the general's reply. "Maybe I should go and inform him of your displeasure…"

The general looked like he'd seen a ghost and wasn't even able to utter a simple word. Lucky for him, Ozai stepped in and took control of the situation. "Azula, you have my blessing. Take him, Mai and Ty Lee with you. You will leave today." After talking to Azula, he directed his attention to his generals. "Within a few short weeks, Ba Sing Se will be ours!"

All the generals stood up and applauded their Fire Lord. Their meeting ended and everyone left except for the 2 royals still sitting on top of the steps. After the room had emptied, Ozai looked at Azula and said: "Good work, Azula. They will now think twice before speaking out against you."

They both stood up and made their way to the exit. "Some people just need to learn their place, general or not."

Ozai grinned and was pleased that his daughter was as ruthless a ruler as she was a warrior. "You're right Azula. Go now to Ba Sing Se and conquer it for the glory of the Fire Nation,… for **my** glory."

Azula bowed to her father and gave him a sly and slightly evil smile. "Yes, Father." She walked out of the war room, heading for Mai and Ty Lee's room to tell them what she was planning. It would be the most glorious victory ever recorded in Fire Nation history, and it would be hers completely.

Ba Sing Se _will_ fall.

Nomak was walking through the corridors of the royal ship, headed for Azula's cabin. He was wearing his trademark black cape, making sure that he was as inconspicuous as possible. People all but ran from him when they saw his blonde hair and blue eyes, afraid of what he would do to them. He never really understood why they believed he'd harm them, but it helped keep up appearances. Rounding a corner, he saw 2 grim-looking guards at a door at the end of the hall. He walked straight for the door but was stopped dead in his tracks by 2 crossing halberds, followed by a deep voice. "Nobody enters the Princess Azula's chambers."

Nomak smiled and answered the guard that spoke to him. "The Princess called for me. You _will_ let me in…"

The 2 guards looked at each other and started to laugh. The one that addressed him continued to speak, while the other just kept laughing. "Not a chance buddy. Only the Princess may enter this room."

Suddenly the guard heard that his colleague's laughter suddenly stopped. He looked to his left and saw the tip of a halberd pointed at his face.

"Lee, what are you doing!"

The guard named Lee had a look of surprise mixed with confusion on his face. "I don't know! I'm not doing it! I can't even move!"

The other guard moved his gaze over to Nomak and saw that one of his hands was raised and pointed to his fellow guard. Realization dawned on the fear stricken guard and his face paled visibly. Nomak removed his hood so that the guard could see who he was and remember his face. His blue eyes and blond hair surely were a rarity in the Fire Nation. "Care to reconsider on letting me in?" he asked in a gentle tone

Even though Azula's assassin stood in front of him, the guard knew that Azula would surely kill him if he'd let this man in when she clearly said that no one could enter. Lucky for the guard, Azula heard the commotion in front of her door and opened it to investigate. The downside was that she was pretty pissed to be disturbed during her meditation.

"What the hell is all this noise?" Upon opening the door, Azula saw 1 guard pointing his weapon at the other, who was looking awfully pale and scared with Nomak standing in front of him, keeping control of the other guard. "Nomak… of course. Release him and come inside."

Nomak did as he was told and lowered his hand, freeing the guard from his hold. He smiled at the both of them before entering Azula's room. Azula looked at the guards and dismissed them. She didn't have to say it twice. The guards all but ran after a quick 'thank you, Princess'. Azula closed the door and turned around to see Nomak lying on her bed.

Normally she would not tolerate anyone to act so freely and unafraid around her, but she was quite fond of this waterbender. Only thing she didn't know if it was because of the sex, his power or if she just genuinely liked him for who he was. She would never tell him though, he might get the wrong ideas.

Nomak took on a ridiculous pose while laying on the bed, trying to be seductive. He lay on his side with his head propped up by his hand and one leg over the other. She recognized this pose from some of the posters of girls that hung in the soldiers communal quarters. "What are you doing?" She raised an eyebrow at his antics, not knowing what he was up to.

"Is this not why I am here for-" he gestured for the way he was lying on the bed, "to help you 'relax'?" he emphasized his sarcasm at the last word by using air quotes.

Azula looked at him for a moment, but did not react to his tone. "Not just for that, I need you to conquer Ba Sing Se." While she was talking, Azula was busy removing her armor. It was weighing her down after her intensive training session.

"Ah you need me to conquer the capital of the Earth Kingdom? Bullshit, you could conquer the entire thing by yourself. You don't need me or Mai or Ty Lee, you just take us with you because you like us." Nomak was smiling like a 5 year old, trying to provoke a reaction from Azula, who was now stripped down to her bindings.

Azula scoffed and turned to Nomak, composed as ever. "Don't flatter yourself, you 3 are essential in gaining victory over those stubborn earthbenders. "The nearly naked Princess started her work on removing her breast bindings which were a hassle.

Nomak smiled because he knew that wasn't the whole truth. He was transfixed by Azula's work on her breast bindings. Every layer she peeled of got replaced by a new expanse of that milky-white skin he loved so much. Though after a few seconds, red streaks were forming. He frowned: "Why do you hide your breasts? They are the 2 most beautifully shaped objects I've ever seen." The redness started to worsen and Nomak wondered if it hurt Azula. She definitely didn't show it.

Azula only just finished taking off that cursed piece of clothing, when Nomak spoke. She moved to sit next to him on the bed so she could relax a bit. "Being a woman is my biggest weakness. If I was born a man, I would have been named Crown Prince right after my brother was banished. The nobles will not stand for a woman to rule them, so I try my best to make them forget I am one."

"But even the nobles can see that you are far better than any firebender, maybe even better than your father."

"It's not just the firebending that interests the nobles, they are afraid of me and consider me a liability. They fear that I will not listen to them once my father gives me the crown."

"Well, they're probably right. I mean, you _are_ quite stubborn." Nomak said chuckling.

"Yeah, screw the council. I could always order you to kill them."

"Ok, I'd be up for that… but let me screw you first." Nomak jumped on top of Azula and kissed her passionately, putting his entire soul into that one kiss.

Their tongues wrestled for dominance – which was not an easy fight for Nomak – while they were exploring each other's bodies. Nomak started with his arms around her schoulders, but quickly found a way to her butt. When he got a firm grip on her well-shaped ass, he lifted her up so she had better access to his mouth and she greedily took advantage of that.

Azula's hands couldn't get enough of the golden hair that adorned his head. It was so thick and wild, almost like it had a will of its own. Occasionally Azula let a hand drift down to his upper body, so she could feel the power that was in his muscles. Oh how she loved the power. With every movement he made, she could feel his muscles twitch, almost effortlessly supporting her weight.

With Azula tightly pressed up against him, it didn't take long for Nomak to get 'battle-ready'. Azula felt it because his erection was prodding her stomach. Between greedy kisses she could get only a few words out.

"Pants… Off."

That was all Nomak needed to hear.


	2. Chapter 2: Revelations

**A.N. : Sooo... long time no update. A few years ago I was really into fanfiction, but it was getting harder and harder to update my story at a decent pace so that writing bug was soon squashed under the giant boot that is real life. Recently I had a few e-mails from 3 fans who would like me to update this story in particular, and it so happened that I still had 1 chapter that I never uploaded for some reason. So here it is: the continuation of Blood in the water!**

**(Don't know if i'm going to write more for this story. I'm trying to write some more today and see if i'm inspired enough to continue writing fanfiction)**

**Chapter 2: Revelations**

The Royal Fire Nation ship docked at the port of Full Moon Bay, where Azula and the rest of the group would go on to Ba Sing Se alone, significantly lowering their chances of getting caught. Unfortunately this meant that they all had to sleep out in the open until they arrived at Ba Sing Se. To Nomak this didn't really matter but the 3 girls he was travelling with were a lot less happy about it.

"Why can't we just find an inn somewhere in a small town? It's not like people would get suspicious." Mai didn't talk much but when she did, it was about something she hated or to complain.

The first one to react was the always chipper and perky Ty Lee. "Oh Mai, why don't you like nature? We can sleep together with all the cute animals!"

"Don't be ridiculous Ty Lee. Mai, we can't risk spending the night in an inn, there are Dai Li spies everywhere. One single slip-up and we're done for." was Azula's response.

Walking in the back of the group was Nomak, dressed in dark clothes with a black hoodie. He kept quiet the whole time, unless someone spoke to him. He didn't feel like starting up a conversation about trivial things. Most of his time was spent thinking about how his life had panned out and how he ended up in the arms of the Princess of the Fire Nation…

Drums were beating, the sound was continuously bashing his mind. Everything was red, like blood. Inside him was a bomb, ready to explode. A caged animal that was breaking through the steel that kept it from its freedom. He knew that this beast would do terrible things should it ever get out, but it seemed as if it wasn't important anymore. He tried to stop it, but it was too strong. It broke free and reclaimed its freedom in blood.

It was a wolf. A massive black wolf that stood before him. It's teeth were the size of his fingers, gleaming white and ready to taste blood. It's fur was as black as a moonless night, thick and wild. Red eyes were staring at him, warning him of his impending doom.

The wolf started to circle him, scaring him into submission. He was too scared to fight it, so he did the only thing that came to mind.

Run

He soon realized it was pointless. He could hear it coming closer and closer until he tripped and saw 2 sets of razor sharp teeth right above his face. The last thing he saw, was an enormous jaw aiming for his throat.

He saw the ocean again, lapping against the side of the boat. He heard a muffled voice calling out to him, so he looked to where the sound was coming from and saw his uncle lying on the floor. He was bleeding profusely from his neck, or what was left of it. He couldn't move, he couldn't speak, he was frozen.

"No…Nomak…" his uncle was having trouble breathing, let alone speaking, but there was 1 word that kept coming out of Samoro's mouth.

"Why?"

That single word cracked him. He started to cry because he couldn't understand what happened to his uncle and apparently he was to blame for what had happened. Out of the corner of his eye he could see someone stumbling back. It was the first mate of the ship they were on. He could see him call out for help but he did not hear the words. Everything was lost to his confusion.

People were coming up out of the bowels of the ship, shouting when they saw his uncles lifeless body, drenched in blood, lying on deck. They grabbed him and shook him, but he did not react. He could see them mouth: "Are you okay?", but he did not react. The only thing he could do was look at the blood. He heard a voice inside his head right before he passed out. It said: "**You** did this! **You** killed your uncle!"

He woke up and was greeted by a pounding headache and a voice calling out to him. "Nomak? Are you alright?" He remembered the voice, it was the captains.

Suddenly he remembered what happened not long ago.

"No, I'm not alright!"

The captain did not look fazed in the least. "Do you remember what happened?"

"My uncle told me my father died in a raid on a Fire Nation ship and then I …" He wasn't sure if what happened next was real or his imagination, so he decided not to talk about that.

"And then you what?" the captain asked him impatiently.

"I… I don't remember."

In a way he told the truth.

The captain looked at him, not convinced. "You don't remember? Well, our first mate saw what happened." When he saw Nomak looking very expectant, he knew the boy did not intend on doing what he did. "He heard you 2 talking when suddenly your uncle repeatedly called out to you, telling you to stop. His body cramped up and started to twist and turn in odd angles,… breaking bones."

Nomak could not believe what he was hearing. How was something like that even possible? He would never be capable of something like that!

"… then his throat suddenly started bleeding. As if a wolf had attacked him." The captain continued on what his first mate had told him.

This caught Nomak's attention, even through all his crying. "Wait! What did you just say?"

The captain gave him a blank stare and again told him: "It was like he was attacked by a wolf. He had bite marks in his throat… . Do you know what that's all about?" He asked in an accusing tone.

Nomak was hesitant to tell the truth. "When my uncle told me about my dad, I blanked out. I was in a dark room, when suddenly a black wolf came out of nothing and attacked me. I started running, but I wasn't fast enough and tripped, with the wolf aiming for my throat." He could barely recount his story through his fits of hysterical crying.

Suddenly the crew jumped back in fear, with a look of utter dread etched on their faces. The captain had the same look, but didn't jump back like the rest. "If you would excuse me, Nomak. I need to think for awhile." The captain stood up, and gestured for the eldest crewmembers to come with him below deck.

While Nomak got time to grieve for his father and uncle, the captain and his crew were fiercely debating what to make up of the situation.

"He is possessed by evil spirits! We need to get him off the ship as soon as possible!" One of the men said, while many of the others nodded affirmatively.

The captain had his doubts about the boy, but he was just a child. "Do you think he will be a danger to us?"

The same man that spoke earlier, was the first to react. "Oh, I don't know. Maybe we should ask Samoro?" he said very cynically. The crew looked down when their fallen comrade was mentioned.

The captain joined his crew. "Yes, maybe you're right… . So what do you propose we do?"

"As I said, we have to make sure he gets of this ship as soon as possible, before the spirit decides to kill again."

"So sail for the nearest port, drop him off and sail back to the north pole? Seems a little cruel for a boy his age."

"I agree… we should dispose of him here. I suggest we poison his food with the venom of an eel-snake."

The captain had a look of utter shock on his face. "What!? You want to kill him?"

The crew did not understand why the captain acted the way he did. " It will be painless… the boy won't suffer. It's humane."

The captain was horrified to even hear the words come out of their mouths. "How is poisoning a boy the humane thing to do? He's still a member of our tribe!"

"That boy killed a tribesman! By law he should be put to death. He's lucky we're not at home or he'd be thrown in the ocean. When evil spirits are concerned, we can't delay. It has to be done _today_." And again, the crew nodded in unison.

The captain looked at his crew and saw their expectant looks. People in the Northern Water tribe are very superstitious and believed in spirits and higher forces. He knew that he'd have a mutiny on his hands if he did not comply.

Still hesitant of the idea, the captain wanted to get one thing clear. "Okay, I will make sure he gets off the ship… but I will NOT kill him."

The crew was looking at each other and came to a consensus. "We can agree to that. We put him on a raft and let the spirits decide what has to be done with him."

And so it was decided. The captain did not speak against it, although he did not like it.

And so night fell and the men prepared the small boat for Nomak to travel in. He would not have much chance of making it to land in this thing, but he had no choice. It was barely big enough to fit 2 grown men, but it was lengthy enough for him to sleep in.

"Nomak." Somebody called out to him. He looked up and saw the captain of the ship coming his way. "Are you ready?" The captain looked sad and full of regret, probably the only one on the entire ship…

"Not really."

"I'm so sorry this has to happen. I tried my best to stop this."

"I understand."

The captain looked around to see if anyone was looking their way, but found no one. "Keep heading for that star," the captain pointed to a very bright star in the sky, "it points north and will lead you to the shores of the Earth Kingdom. I hope you can make it that far…" And with a painful look in his eyes, the captain turned around and headed for his first mate, before Nomak could reply.

"Thank you…" he whispered to himself.

"Demon!" a crewmember yelled to him. "Time for you to go…"

Their first night out in the open was uneventful, Nomak had to keep watch and was rather exhausted. Especially thinking about his past was not his favorite way of spending time. He couldn't go to Azula either because she strictly forbade that they'd see each other.

So all that was left to do was stare up into the sky and watch the stars shine bright. Luckily the night sky was clear so he had a brilliant view of all the constellations. He remembered his father telling him everything about their meaning, the shape they represent and the ones that were most sacred to the water tribe. Of course nothing was more important than the moon, the reason their people could bend their element. It wasn't full tonight, but within a few days time it would be.

Something caught his attention while gazing up at the moon. He looked more closely and he thought he saw the face of a young woman smiling down at him. He closed his eyes, shook his head and looked for a second time, but what he saw before was now gone. He wondered if he had imagined it, very plausible, seeing it was very late in the night. Though something like this has never happened to him before…

"Nomak?"

He did not hear that someone was awake, another sign he needed some sleep. When he turned his head to see who spoke to him, he saw that it was Ty Lee.

"Azula said I should take over for awhile and let you rest." Nomak found it difficult to believe that Azula would ask something like that of Ty Lee, but the girl has always been kind hearted.

"Thank you, Ty Lee. I appreciate it." Nomak said to her smiling.

Ty Lee just smiled back and went to sit at a tree not too far away from the fire.

Nomak went over to his bed roll and laid himself down, trying to get a comfortable sleeping position. With his hands behind his head, he yet again looked up at the sky. Sleep was coming fast and before he closed his eyes for the last time that night, he heard a soft echo whispering in his ear: "Sleep… you will need your strength soon enough… sleep."

The voice was so soft and soothing that it didn't take longer than 5 seconds for him to be sound asleep.

On a hill near the camp a dark cloaked and shadowy figure appeared out of nowhere, looming over the group with a malicious look on its face. It slightly turned its head, speaking to seemingly no one in a dark and deep voice.

"Why are you interfering in my affairs?"

Suddenly a mysterious white female figure took shape right next to the dark creature and kept her gaze on the sleeping form of Nomak.

"If not me, than who will?"

The creature bared its razor-sharp teeth as it smirked and followed her gaze. "Hmm, you think you can stop it? The Shadow has been over them for too long. I have been there for years, watching, guiding… and I will only get stronger."

The woman's smile fell when she heard the creature talk, but she knew that her efforts would not be in vain. "You know as well as I that there is still good in him. As long as the Light is still in him, there is hope."

This time the creature uttered a sickly laugh, raising its head while doing so, making some of its beastly face visible in the moonlight. "Oh Yue, you are much more of a comedian than Tui. I will miss that when I destroy you."

"You are much too confident, Fenrir. You have often tried to destroy us and even when you enlisted Koh to slay the avatar, you failed. This time will be no different…"

"We shall see Yue…" Fenrir looked at the horizon and saw that within 1 or 2 hours the sun would come up. Time for him to disappear. He turned around, ready to become one with the darkness.

"There's no hope Yue. Tell the other spirits that old scores will be settled…" And without warning he vanished, leaving nothing but an eerie dark mist.

Yue lingered for a few moments more, gazing at Nomak for one last time. "I'll help you fight him, Nomak. Even if you don't know it yet." She then moved her focus to Azula and felt uneasy. "I just hope that I can inspire others to do the same…"

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, vanishing in the same way Fenrir did, leaving no trace of her presence behind.

_The following morning:_

Nomak woke to find everyone already up and about their daily routine. Mai was practicing with her knives, horribly scarring a tree as she did so. Ty Lee was stretching and doing cartwheels all over camp, and Azula was calmly eating her breakfast, probably already finished doing her morning chain of exercises. Nomak rose out of his bedroll and sat opposite to Azula, with the fire between them.

"I had the strangest dream last night." Nomak stated.

Azula immediately rolled her eyes. "Not about wolves again I hope. That has to get bored after awhile."

Nomak chuckled, he never thought Azula really listened to him when he spoke about his thoughts or dreams. "Not entirely… There was also a bear."

"Oh for the love of Agni…" Azula was not in a good mood after practically having slept on the ground the previous night.

Nomak saw her frustration and decided to drop the subject. "So what is next on the agenda? We will arrive at Ba Sing Se in little over a week, so what do we do until then?"

Azula recomposed herself and took out a little mirror to put on her Kyoshi warrior make-up. "We keep moving as fast as possible and don't attract any attention to ourselves. Don't concern yourself with the rest, if I need you I'll tell you." She was nearly finished with her Kyoshi make up when Nomak stood up to take his leave, but not before one last barb.

"That make up looks really good on you, how about you put it on next time we…" He didn't get to finish his sentence because Azula threw a fireball at his face, which he expertly dodged.

He ran away while screaming: "Ooh Azula is maaaaaad!" and he really picked up the pace when a flurry of fireballs were chasing him.

Despite it all, Azula had to suppress a little smile.

It had taken them several days to complete their journey, but they had finally arrived in Ba Sing Se. Azula was visibly pleased. She was not coping very well without all the luxury she was used to, but she'd never show her discomfort, for that would mean she was weak. But that was all over and done with because they were standing in front of the gates that would lead them into the inner ring of Ba Sing Se or in other words the palace of the Earth King himself.

Azula turned around and addressed her traveling companions. "When we go in, you all shut up and let me do the talking. I don't want any of you to screw this up."

Nomak, Ty Lee and Mai were a little bit offended but they were already used to it and knew from experience that it's best to shut it when Azula is in a mood. So they all nodded their heads in agreement and moved towards the guards that were standing at the gates.

Naturally Azula took the lead with Ty Lee and Mai following side by side, all dressed in their Kyoshi warrior disguise, with Nomak standing behind them donning his trademark dark clothes and a black hood to cover the upper part of his face.

The guard saw them coming and thought that there had to be a circus in town or something because normal people don't dress like that and certainly don't paint their faces that heavily.

"Stop! What is your business here?"

Azula had expected this and did as the guard told her. She gestured for the group to follow her lead as they bowed when Azula announced them. "We are the Kyoshi warriors, here to serve the Earth King. We would like to request an audience with his Majesty."

At first the guard considered the possibility that these people were mentally challenged but they were too formal and too serious so they had to be legit. He called for his superior to come take a look.

The head guard came running from a small alley to the side looking stressed. "Ah there you are! Do you people always cut it this close on Kyoshi Island? You have an audience with the Earth King in 5 minutes! I don't know if we're gon-". The man was rambling, not making much sense. Azula interrupted him so they wouldn't waste more precious time.

"Then what are we waiting for? Take us to his Majesty." Azula said stone-faced.

The man looked at her odd, but had more important things to do than worry about these four. "Right, of course… Follow me."

Soon enough the group followed the man to what had to be the biggest flight of stairs in the world, were the man stopped and turned abruptly. "Okay, you will be meeting the Earth King when you reach the top of the stairs. When you reach his Majesty, you bow and let him finish speaking. After that I will come back and show you around the palace and assign you each a room."

Before they could nod, the man had already left, probably to attend to some other royal disaster. Azula looked at Mai, Ty Lee and Nomak and yet again gestured for them to follow her. At the top of the stairs were guards standing on either side of a rolled out carpet, forming a corridor right to the Earth King himself. In the distance they could hear them being announced.

The group walked until they were at a respectable distance from the Earth King and then bowed as they were told. The Earth King then moved to speak: "In our hour of need, it is with the highest honor that I welcome our esteemed allies the Kyoshi Warriors!"

Azula raised her head and answered the Earth King in the silkiest, smoothest but still extremely cold voice that Nomak ever heard her use. "We are the Earth Kings humble servants…". Nomak had a hard time suppressing the chill crawling over his spine, but it had apparently gone unnoticed.

King Kuei didn't pick up on any of the subtext, which was to be expected if he really was used as a puppet, and happily went on with the introductions. "Good. I trust you had no trouble travelling this far from Kyoshi Island and that Hueng will properly accommodate you during your stay." The little man was apparently named Hueng because he yet again came scurrying out of nowhere, bowing as he did, and quickly grabbed onto Azula and pulled her to a side entrance of the palace.

The group quickly got a look at the palace and each got separate rooms that all lead to the same common room, which was convenient since they needed to stick together. At nightfall they were all in the same room when they heard a little rap on the door. Hueng came in and told them what was planned for the following day.

"… and then you will meet with the Generals about various issues." Hueng saw Nomak in a corner of the room and remembered something his staff members were talking about. "Excuse me, but I thought the Kyoshi warriors only had female members… and aren't you from the Water Tribes?"

Nomak wasn't wearing his hood so Hueng must have taken notice of his blue eyes. For a second Nomak thought that their cover was blown so he moved towards the little man until Azula spoke up. "He is our escort from the Southern Water Tribe. He came to Kyoshi a few months ago as a token from the Water Tribes to ally themselves with us. He has been a close personal friend to us ever since." The second Nomak moved, Azula recognized the aggression he used when bloodbending, so she thought it best to stop him.

Hueng's face was blank. He looked at Nomak for a few moments who stood still, looking at Azula and nodded with a quiet 'hmm', then he turned and left.

When Azula was sure Hueng was gone, she jumped up and pinned Nomak against the wall. "What the hell was that?! You only use your bloodbending when I give you permission to! If you ever compromise this mission again, or act without my direct orders, I will execute you personally!"

Azula stared Nomak right in the face but he didn't back down. He knew she was an elite bender, but nothing could beat his bloodbending. After nearly half a minute of meeting her stare, Nomak realized he was in the wrong but he only begrudgingly admitted it. "Yes, _Princess_…"

Azula was not pleased in the slightest. "Good! Just get it in that thick watertribe skull of yours." She tapped him on his forehead to emphasize her point and then sat back down behind the vanity so she could wash off the rest of her Kyoshi makeup.

Nomak promptly felt the need for some fresh air and audibly exited the room by slamming the door, so Azula indirectly knew he was angry.

Sometime during the night, Azula's chamber door slowly opened...


End file.
